Basketball great David Thompson will help induct Michael Jordan into the Hall of Fame. David Skywalker Thompson is fitting as Michael Jordan’s pick for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The last few decades, Thompson has been used to people referring to him as “Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan”.

David Thompson explains to Yahoo Newsthat incredible phone call:

“I got a call from the Hall of Fame and they asked me if I was willing to be a presenter for someone.

“I said, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t know who it was. … They said Michael Jordan. I was like, ‘Wow.’ He told them that he was a big fan of mine and I was the one that really inspired him. Being that there was so many North Carolina people he could’ve chose, I was honored. I was kind of surprised, and also was really flattered that he chose me over Coach Smith. You know how important he is?”

David Thompson’s48 inch leaps become historic in college before he went to the Denver Nuggets, earning second in the first ever dunk contest in 1976 behind Julius Erving.

Jordan and Thompon met during the 1984 finals.

Thompson for Friday has recorded a video introduction and will appear next to Jordan during this induction speech.